Gas cap and signal



Oct. 29, 1935. G, H. CARAH 2,019,393

GAs CAP AND SIGNAL Filed Aug. 28, 1955 2 sheets-sheet v2 "m h l) E E 9: kvl

WKN \\f A N \\\\\\1\ l\ Q N N ATTORNEY Patented oer. 29, 193.5L

` UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICE` GAS CAP AND SIGNAL G0011* H Ctrl-h, Ironwood. Mich. Application Alll'lllt 28, 1933, Serial No. 681,228

1 Claim. (CL 177-314) My present invention has reference to attachments for automobiles, and among theobjects are the provision of means for preventing the surreptitious removal ofthe cap for thezintake spout of the gas tank of an automobile to prevent the gasoline being siphoned therefrom by unauthorized persons;l to prevent the air vent in the cap from being plugged accidentally or otherwise which interferes with the suction of the gas through the gas line from the tankl to the vacuum tank and carbureter; to cause the sounding of an electric alarm should the cap be removed by breaking the same or should the spout be bent or tampered with to allow the removal of the cap and to also cause the sounding of an alarm should the sides of the hood for the motor be raised without due authority. so that parts of the engine concealed by the hoodl cannot be surrep'titiously tampered with.

The invention will be fully and comprehensively understood from a consideration of the following detailed description whenv read in connection with the accompanying drawings which form. part of the application, with the understanding, however, that the improvement is capable of extended application and is not connned to the exact showing of the drawings nor to the precise construction described and, therefore,

such changes and modifications may be made therefrom as do not affect' the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appended claim.

In the drawings: y Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through'a sufficient portion of an automobile to illustrate the'application of the improvement Figure 2 is a sectional view approximately on .une 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional viewapproximately on t line l-I of Figure l. looking in the direction of the arrow s. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view The nlling spout from its upper end il provided with exterior threads and in the present instance has one of its sides formed with a hollow enlargement 3A for the reception of a. bolt 4 that isspring inuenced. as at 5. in a. direction through the enlargement or casing 3. The lower end of the spring rests on a partition 8 in thecasing 3. the stem 'I passing through the said partition,'and the stem 1 has xed thereon a. stop element 8 to contact with the partition and to limit the outward movement of the bolt 4 through the casing I when inuenced by the spring 5. .The cap 9 for the spout 2 is provided with the usual depending circumferential flange l0 whose inner wall is threaded to engage with the exterior threads of the spout 2. The flange I0 is of a greater width than those of the ordinary caps and has its outer face provided with an annular channel Il and the said channel has lts inner wall formed with saw teeth i2, and these teeth are designed to ratchet over the ta.- go pered active end of the bolt l when the cap is screwed on the spout. and. the said bolt is designed when the cap is screwed home, to be fully received in the channel Il and to have its said tapered end received in the space provided by 25 the straight and angle' surfaces of one of the teeth I2. Thus when the cap is screwed on the spout it cannot be accidentally removed therefrom, but in order to accomplish this the casing l is formed with a lateral and tubular extend- 80 sion I3 for the barrel I4 of a. key operated lock I6. The lock is of the tumbler type and carries l on its inner end a stud I6 to be received in a keeper notch Il in the bolt 4 and the turning of the lock bolt through the'medium of the key I5 may be employed 'for both raising or lowering the bolt. The stud or bolt IB may be of the spring retracted type and is forced into the keeper by lthe insertion of the key in the lock and held in the keeper until the key is turned to vt0 a position to permit of its withdrawal. Obviously any type oi lock may be employed but in all instances the key therefor is removed when the bolt is in cap-locking position.

Unless the cap l is provided with an air vent proper suction of the gasoline to the vacuum tank or carbureter cannot be obtained and I have found in numerous instances that the vent J openings have been closed either maliciously or accidentally and-for this reason I provide the 50 bottom of the cap with one or a number of passages IO whose ends or ports communicate respectively with the portion of'thecap that covers the spout 2 and the portion thereof provided with the annular channel. By this arrangement it will be practically impossible to plus or otherwise close the e Il.

In instances where dishonest personsresort to the breakage. of the cap it is desirable that an Vaudible alarm is sounded. For this reason I connect tothe bottom oi' the casing 3 the angle end of a tube I3 and thread through this tube a exible cord or cable 23 of insulating material and connect one end oi the said cable to the lower end of the stem 1 of the bolt 4. The tube I9 is threaded in a boss in one end of a metal `box-like housing 2| that has arranged therein but insulated therefrom oppositely disposed spring contact A members that have angle ends 22 and 23, respectively. 'Ihe end of the cable that enters the housing 2l is connected to a cone-shaped metal .mounted at any suitable place upon the automobile by a support 23. The switch also includes contacts 3| and 32 and the contact 3| is connected to the solenoid 2l by a conductor 30' and the contact 32 is connected to the frame or ground 33 by a conductor 3|'. The solenoid 2t is connected to the conductor 23' byv a conductor 32'.- y The switch 33 is connected to the contact 22 byV a conductor 33' and the contact 23 is connected to the ground or frame by a conductor 34.

Prior to leaving the' automobile unattended the switch 3l is moved into engagement with the contact 34 so'that shouldthe cap 2 be removed or broken from the neckA by an unauthorized personthespring actuatedbolt 4 willexert apull on the cable 2l bringing the contact element 24 into engagement with'the contacts 22 and 23, completing the circuit to the alarm consequently setting the latter in operation so that attention will be attracted tothe automobile and thereby prevent removal oi the fuel from the tank by an unauthorised person.

When it is desired to retract or actuate the bolt 4 electrically from the switch 3l the latter is moved into engagement with the contacts 3| and 32 completing the electric circuit to the solenoid 2l which exerts a pull on the cable 2l retracting the bolt so that the cap can be unthreaded from the neck without oi the alarm.

The electric circuit may be also employed for provided with a head 39 arranged in but out of' contact with a tube or casing 4U that is ilxed on the horizontal ange of one of the side members 33 of the automobile frame. A coil spring 4I exerts a pressure against the head 3 to force 1 the stem 33 outwardly through the casing. The open top of the casingis closed by a plug 42 of insulating material, and let through this .plug there are metal contacts 43, respectively, one of which has an oset or right angular outer end 1g provided with a binding post 44 for a branch wire 45 that connects the conductor wire 33.

Should the hood 3l of the automobile be lifted by an unauthorised person and with the switch 33 in engagement with the contact 34 the alarm 15 2B will be actuated due to the fact that the head 33 engages with the contact 43 on the lifting of the hood completing the electric circuit between the battery, the alarm 28 and the ground 33.

h Obviously the lling spout and cap may have 2( their threads arranged differently from that herein set forth, and as a matter-of fact, the cap may be removably attached to the spout in any desired manner. Also while I have illustrated and described the teeth I2 as saw teeth, the saidv teeth gg may be diiIerently formedand as a matter-of-fact the cap may be provided with depressionscr simplyroughened surfaces to be engaged by the bolt. Also, it is to beunderstood that the alarm may be connected to the auto horn or to any auxiliary 3( horn or any other signal placed where desired. within the car or under the hood.

It is believed the foregoing description will fully and clearly set forth my construction and the advantages thereof to those skilled in the 3| art to which such inventionV relates so that furf ther detailed description will not be required.

`s1idable contact to the bolt, `an electric alarm circuit electrically connectedto said spaced con- 5g tacts and including aa'source of electrical energy, an electric alarm electrically connected in said Y circuit, an' electrical circuit electrically connected to said solenoid, and a control switch electrically connected to said circuits for opening and closing M either of said circuits wherebythe alarm-maybe ,actuated bythebolt movinginone directiondue Y to the removal of thecap fromtheneckorto cause energimtion of the solenoid for retracting theboltwithoutactuationolthealarm. foi

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